Boehner elected House speaker; Pelosi to lead Democrats

Republicans chose John Boehner of Ohio to be the next speaker of the House on Wednesday, a little more than two weeks after his party won back its majority in the midterm elections.

Boehner takes the speaker’s gavel from Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, who was elected House Democratic leader Wednesday.

The House leadership elections came on Boehner’s 61st birthday. The Ohio congressman is promising to lead his troops into battle against President Barack Obama’s agenda, including by repealing the landmark health-care overhaul and permanently extending soon-to-expire tax cuts for all income levels. Obama wants to make middle class tax cuts permanent but opposes a permanent extension for families making more than $250,000 a year.

“This is the dawn of a new majority, one humbler and more focused on the people’s priorities,” Boehner said on his Twitter account.

Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina, a leader of the conservative Blue Dog Democrats, challenged Pelosi in a largely symbolic run. He said his run wasn’t about winning but about giving moderates a voice in the Democratic caucus.

Shuler had earlier said he was “shocked” that Pelosi planned to run for the post and that the party needed new leadership after the drubbing it suffered in the midterms. Pelosi prevailed in a 150-43 vote.

Pelosi told reporters afterward that the message Democrats got from Americans is that they want jobs. She said Democrats extend a “hand of friendship” to Republicans and want to hear their ideas about job creation.

Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, now majority leader, becomes House minority whip. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina will be the third-ranking House Democrat.

Republicans also elected Eric Cantor of Virginia as House majority leader. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California was chosen as majority whip, the party’s lead vote counter.

Boehner, Pelosi and other congressional leaders are scheduled to meet Obama at the White House on Nov. 30 to discuss the lame-duck session of Congress. That meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday but was pushed back at Republicans’ request.

– Robert Schroeder

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